


A Conversation Under the Stars

by OrangeChickenPillow



Category: CrankGameplays - Fandom, Crankiplier - Fandom, Unus Annus - Fandom, amyplier - Fandom, markiplier - Fandom
Genre: Best Friends, Domestic Fluff, Emotional, Emotions, Fluff, Friendship, Male Friendship, Male-Female Friendship, Multi, Platonic Cuddling, Platonic Female/Male Relationships, Platonic Male/Male Relationships, Platonic Relationships, Platonic Soulmates, Romantic Fluff, Romantic Friendship, Sharing Body Heat, Stargazing, Unus Annus, platonic fluff, video filming
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-11
Updated: 2020-11-11
Packaged: 2021-03-09 18:06:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,439
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27510493
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/OrangeChickenPillow/pseuds/OrangeChickenPillow
Summary: Mark, Ethan, and Amy take a trip out to the desert. The experience of stargazing gets Mark thinking about his friends.
Relationships: Amy Nelson & Ethan Nestor, Mark Fischbach & Amy Nelson, Mark Fischbach & Amy Nelson & Ethan Nestor, Mark Fischbach & Ethan Nestor, Mark Fischbach/Amy Nelson, Mark Fischbach/Amy Nelson/Ethan Nestor, Mark Fischbach/Ethan Nestor
Comments: 9
Kudos: 168





	A Conversation Under the Stars

**Author's Note:**

> General disclaimer that this is in no way meant to comment on real life situations or people involved, as this is a work of fiction and only meant for fun :)
> 
> Inspired by the Unus Annus video of the same title. Go check it out, while you still can. 
> 
> Momento Mori

When Amy had come up with the idea to rent a house out in the desert to film a series of Unus Annus videos, both Mark and Ethan were instantly on board. They did some research, found the perfect rental, and compiled a long list of possible videos. On the top of that list was stargazing. 

Mark had suggested it, as it was always something he’d wanted to do. Sure, he’d seen the stars before, but the desert was the perfect place to get a fantastic view without all the light pollution that came with living in the suburbs. And it was just their luck that a comet was due to pass by earth, providing them with a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. 

So they set up the reservation, marked the date on their calendars, and looked forward to the mini-vacation. Unus Annus had taken them to many interesting and wonderful places, but they found themselves especially excited for this trip in particular. 

When the day came, Mark and Ethan drove together, along with their luggage, while Amy drove separately with the dogs and filming equipment. The boys set out a little before Amy, who needed to stay back to take care of a few things before leaving for the weekend. 

Ethan and Mark goofed off the majority of the drive, blaring music and singing along to the songs, talking through video ideas, and just generally enjoying each other’s company. If the drive had anything to say for the coming weekend, it was going to be a fun couple of days. 

When they arrived, both boys were a little dulled from the couple hours spent in the car. Amy pulled in shortly after them, letting the dogs out to ecstatically sprint around the desert, tails wagging and noses to the ground. 

“How was the drive,” she asked. 

“Good, good,” Mark said. 

“Mmmm,” Ethan hummed in agreement. 

They unpacked their things, taking them inside to explore the house. 

It was gorgeous. Tall windows covered the walls, and the interior was clean with an ancient feel to it. They went about settling in, picking rooms and putting their things away. 

Once settled, and with a few more hours until dusk, Ethan and Amy cooked dinner while Mark played with the dogs, who were very much enjoying their vacation. 

They ate outside in the glow of the sunset, breathing in the fresh air. Amy, who’d always felt the most herself in the desert, was infectiously radiant. They all breathed a little easier, away from the choking closeness of the city. In fact, they almost forgot why they were there at all. In the presence of nature and all its glory, the filming schedule easily slipped from their minds. Once darkness fell, it was Mark who reminded them they had a video to film. 

Ethan, who had a passion for cameras, set up the lens they had rented to take pictures of the night sky. They watched in a reverent silence as the first stars began to emerge, and before they knew it, there were thousands of the blinking lights above their head. A luminous ocean of possibility peered down at them, tiny specks among the sand and rock.

It took their breath away. 

They filmed the video, which was much more relaxed and homely than their usual content. Mark lightened the mood with a few jokes, but even he couldn’t stop the awe and beauty of the galaxy from washing over him. When they wrapped up the video, the three of them sat in silence, looking up at the sky. 

Ethan took several more pictures, making the most of his time with the strong-lensed camera. Each time he captured a good one, he eagerly showed his friends, who applauded him for his skill. 

“You’ve really got a good eye, man,” Mark said genuinely. 

Ethan grinned in thanks, returning to the camera to snap a few more shots. 

The sky above them shimmered, unaware of the tiny humans below who were taking in its vastness. Mark liked that he could see so much while also aware that he wasn’t even getting a fractional glimpse of all that was out there. He knew that it made some people anxious, but feeling so small -- so consumed by the rest of the universe, made him feel good. Like for once, the whole world wasn’t riding on his shoulders. 

Back home, it could be hard to remember that the world wouldn’t crumble when his life went wrong. But out here under the stars, he could fully understand that whatever happened to him, it didn’t matter; the stars would still be there, blinking away. 

As the already chilly night grew colder, he slid up next to Amy, who was snuggled in a sweatshirt, and wrapped his arm around her shoulders. She leaned into him, and they let their body heat mingle in the frosty desert night. 

After carefully putting the camera away, Ethan scooted in next to Mark. 

“Ooo, it’s chilly,” he said in one of his raspy voices. 

“Yeah,” Mark chuckled. He reached out a hand, grabbing the back of Ethan’s shirt and tugging him closer. 

The boy glanced at Mark for a moment before letting himself be pulled in close. The three friends sat shoulder to shoulder; Amy with her head against Mark, and Ethan with his legs hugged against his chest. They listened to the soft sounds of each others’ breath as they let the boundless sky show them how tiny they really were. 

As they sat in silence, Mark’s mind began turning over the things they had talked about during filming, which in turn made him think about how beautifully strange the universe could be. What were the odds that he was born at just the right time to live alongside Ethan and Amy? What had gone so right in the universe to allow their lives to be perfectly aligned with each other? 

Mark couldn’t imagine a life without his two favorite people. Amy was the love of his life, and Ethan was one of the best friends he could ever imagine having. Both made him laugh. Both made him feel loved and wanted. Watching both of them do amazing things made him feel honored that they chose to call him their friend. Sitting there in the desert, he was overwhelmed with thankfulness and awe that something had gone just right to allow such amazing people in his life. He didn’t feel worthy, but he sure was grateful. 

When they finally decided to head inside, each of them with several bug bites that hadn’t been there before, Mark felt renewed. All three of them did, really -- but Mark felt washed clean with a gladness and gratitude for his friends, and the life they shared. 

Unwinding inside, Mark and Ethan scrolled through their phones while Amy tapped on her laptop. Before long, all three were ready to call it a night. 

Amy headed to bed first, popping her head around the corner to call goodnight to Ethan before disappearing into her and Mark’s room. 

The boys put a few things away in the kitchen before deciding to follow Amy’s example and get some sleep. 

Before they parted ways into their own separate rooms, Mark stopped Ethan with a soft voice that was already thick with anticipated sleep. 

“Hey Eth?”

“Yeah,” Ethan said, turning to look at Mark sleepily. 

“I really appreciate you, man.”

Ethan’s eyebrows furrowed in mild confusion, but his mouth curved into a smile. 

“No really. I’m really grateful that you’re in my life. Why you chose to be friends with an asshole like me, I’ll never figure out. But I’m glad you did.”

“Aw, Mark,” Ethan said softly. “I’m glad you’re my friend, too.”

The smile on Ethan’s face made Mark’s insides feel like the endless night sky -- full of stars and burning comets. 

“I love you, man.”

Ethan ducked his head, his lower lip jutting out slightly. “I love you too,” he said, his voice catching slightly. 

Mark waved his hand. “Alright, alright, enough of that,” he said, chuckling quietly. “Imma go to bed now.”

Ethan grinned at him. “Okay. Night.”

“Night.”

They floated away and into their rooms. 

When Mark joined Amy in bed, her breathing was already steady. He crawled beneath the covers and watched her back for a few moments. Then he curled his arms around her waist. She sighed contently, shifting to make room for him. 

With his head leaned against hers, he whispered, “I love you,” softly into the night. 

Amy let out a puff of air as she smiled sleepily. 

“I love you too.”

And they fell asleep.

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you enjoyed! 
> 
> Comments/suggestions are always welcome and appreciated. If you'd like to pop by my tumblr @orangechickenpillow to make suggestions or requests, or just say hi, you're more than welcome :)
> 
> Stay safe everyone <3


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